Very Special Sausalito Home For Sale

(Remember - click on photos to enlarge)

Spectacular 3 level contemporary home w/ world class views in a private setting, yet just minutes to San Francisco! Fab Open floor plan with breathtaking views from most every room! Ideal for sophisticated entertaining! Home features:Living room w/ marble fireplace; all gourmet kitchen; stunning Master Suite; 3 add'l bedroom suites; 4 full baths & 2 half baths; fully wired media room; office; library. .. this home has it all!

Sausalito, CA 94965
Price: $3,675,001
Beds: 4
Baths: 5
Sq. Ft.: 5,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $735
Lot Size: 0.59 Acres
$/Acre: $6,271,331
Year Built:2003
Stories: 3 Stories
Style: Contemporary
View(s): Bay, Bridges, Hills, Lights, Marina, Water
Area: Sausalito
County: Marin

If you'd like to buy this home please shoot me an e-mail - michael@valleyfinance.com

Here are some things you may or may not know about the wonderful town of Sausalito:

-Located at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

-The novelist Amy Tan is a resident of Sausalito.

-Scenes in the 1947 film The Lady from Shanghai, directed by Orson Welles, take place on the Sausalito waterfront.

-In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the fictional Cetacean Institute is located in Sausalito

-In the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, a Vulcan "compound" is based in Sausalito, although it is not depicted; Fort Baker, which borders Sausalito is shown, and has become the site of Starfleet Headquarters.

- In Jack Kerouac's On the Road, Sausalito is mentioned as "a little fishing village" and a joke is made about it being "filled with Italians."

Huey Lewis and the News and the Dave Matthews Band recorded albums in Sausalito.
The Real Thing, Faith No More
Load, Reload, and Garage Inc, Metallica (at The Plant Studios)
The drums on Breaking the Silence, Heathen (at Studio D)
Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
Ferro e cartone, Francesco Renga(at The Plant Studios)
Live Lycanthropy by Bay Area Band Papa Wheelie was recorded at The Plant Studios.
Talkin' Blues, Bob Marley and The Wailers

Click Here for photo tour of downtown Sausalito.

Click Here for more in depth photos of Sausalito.

George Carlin 1937 -20008 (He was 71)

One of the greatest comic minds of any generation passed away sunday in Santa Monica Calif0rnia. You will be missed.

Thank you FBI for cleaning up this mess...

Ralph Cioffi, left, and Matthew Tannin are escorted to federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Thursday, June 19, 2008. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News.

More Than 400 Defendants Charged for Roles in Mortgage FraudSchemes as Part of Operation "Malicious Mortgage"
Two Senior Managers of Failed Bear Stearns Hedge Funds IndictedToday in Separate Mortgage-Related Securities Fraud Case [one faked his own suicide and was caught]
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today a national takedown of mortgage fraud schemes, the culmination of substantial coordinated efforts during the last three and a half months to identify, arrest and prosecute mortgage fraud violators through the United States. Operation Malicious Mortgage highlights the strong enforcement response undertaken by the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners to combat the threat mortgage fraud poses to the U.S. housing industry and worldwide credit markets.
From March 1 to June 18, 2008, Operation Malicious Mortgage resulted in 144 mortgage fraud cases in which 406 defendants were charged. Yesterday, 60 arrests were made in mortgage fraud-related cases in 15 districts. Charges in Operation Malicious Mortgage cases were brought in every region of the United States and in more than 50 judicial districts by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices based upon the law enforcement and investigative efforts of participating law enforcement agencies. The FBI estimates that approximately $1 billion in losses were inflicted by the mortgage fraud schemes employed in these cases.
In addition to fraud directly related to individual mortgages, the Department is committed to investigating and prosecuting cases of mortgage-related securities fraud. Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced an indictment against two senior managers of failed Bear Stearns hedge funds, charging Ralph Cioffi and Mathew Tannin with conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud. Cioffi was also charged with insider trading. The indictment alleges that the managers marketed the two funds as a low risk strategy, backed by a pool of debt securities such as mortgages. The indictment alleges that by March 2007, the managers believed the funds were in grave condition and at risk of collapse, but made misrepresentations to stave off investor withdrawal. The funds subsequently collapsed in the summer of 2007 resulting in approximately $1.4 billion in losses to investors.
“Mortgage fraud and related securities fraud pose a significant threat to our economy, to the stability of our nation’s housing market and to the peace of mind of millions of American homeowners,” said Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip. “Operation Malicious Mortgage and our other mortgage-related enforcement actions demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment and determination to combat these criminal schemes, hold their perpetrators accountable and help restore stability and confidence in our housing and credit markets.”
“Operation Malicious Mortgage is a concerted, joint law enforcement and prosecutorial effort aimed at disrupting individuals and groups engaged in mortgage fraud,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III. “This operation is an example of our unified commitment to address this significant crime problem. The FBI will continue to direct investigative and analytic resources towards mortgage fraud and corporate securities fraud that threaten our nation’s economy.”
Operation Malicious Mortgage represents the joint collaborative efforts of the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Trustee Program, Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Inspector General. Operation Malicious Mortgage is the most recent coordinated sweep in an ongoing law enforcement effort to combat mortgage fraud, which also included Operation Continued Action in 2004 and Operation Quick Flip in 2005.
Mortgage frauds employ a variety of tactics including misrepresentations, deceit and other criminal abuses to fund, purchase or insure mortgage loans. Operation Malicious Mortgage addresses primarily three types of mortgage fraud schemes: lending fraud, foreclosure rescue scams and mortgage-related bankruptcy schemes. Lending fraud frequently involves multiple loan transactions in which industry professionals construct mortgage transactions based on gross fraudulent misrepresentations about the borrower’s financial status, such as overstating the borrower’s income or assets, using false or fictitious employment records or inflating property values. Foreclosure rescue scams involve criminals who target legitimate homeowners in dire financial circumstances and fraudulently collect fees for foreclosure prevention services or obtain ownership interests in residential properties. Both of these fraudulent mortgage schemes may be furthered by filing bankruptcy petitions that automatically stay foreclosure.
The President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force, chaired by Deputy Attorney General Filip, is also responding to issues raised by mortgage fraud in the corporate sector. Created in 2002 to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, the Task Force includes representatives from ten federal departments, commissions and agencies, in addition to seven U.S. Attorney’s Offices and two Divisions within the Department of Justice, combining the experience of thousands of investigators, attorneys, accountants and regulatory experts. Since July 2002, the Department of Justice has obtained nearly 1,300 corporate fraud convictions, including the convictions of more than 200 chief executive officers and corporate presidents, more than 120 corporate vice presidents and more than 50 chief financial officers.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Inventory Adjuster...

FHA EXTENDS FINANCING FOR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE OF FORECLOSED HOMES Measure seen to bring stability to home values and accelerate sale of vacant properties.
In an effort to stabilize declining home values in certain neighborhoods, the Bush Administration today announced a temporary policy that will extend government-backed mortgage insurance and allow for the immediate sale of vacant foreclosed properties.
For one year, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will insure foreclosed properties marketed and sold by property disposition firms on behalf of lenders. The properties, which must purchased by owner-occupants, will no longer be subject to the customary 90-day waiting period.
"A glut of foreclosed and abandoned homes harms neighborhoods, frustrates homebuyers and delays a community's recovery," said Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant Secretary of Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner. "The action we take today will allow homebuyers to purchase these homes in much greater numbers and ease the excess supply of unsold homes in neighborhoods across the country."
FHA's new temporary policy will help stabilize neighborhoods experiencing high rates of foreclosure by reducing the inventory of unsold properties. Many foreclosed properties remain vacant for months, inviting vandalism and reducing values of surrounding homes. To address that sizeable inventory, lenders have hired companies that specialize in the marketing and disposition of foreclosed homes. It's reasonable and appropriate that these firms have the ability to sell the properties to borrowers using FHA financing.
With certain exceptions, FHA currently prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. This prohibition is intended to prevent property "flipping," a predatory practice that strips a home of its equity before being quickly resold at an inflated price to an unsuspecting buyer. FHA's new policy will permit the immediate sale of foreclosed properties to legitimate borrowers wishing to use FHA-insured financing.

R.I.P Timothy John Russert, Jr.

I didn't know Mr. Russert, but having spent a lot of time on the East Coast and attending many basketball games at the MCI center I was fortunate to sit next and share dialogue with this very noble humanbeing. What a great personality, a true server of the greater good.

Timothy John Russert, Jr. (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008 was an American journalist who hosted NBC's Meet the Press. Serving 16½ years as moderator, he was the longest-serving host of the program. He was NBC News' Washington Bureau Chief and also hosted the self-titled CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program Tim Russert. He was a frequent correspondent and guest on NBC's The Today Show and Hardball. He co-hosted the network's presidential Election Night coverage and presented the polling results of the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey on the NBC Nightly News. Russert collapsed and died at his office in Washington on Friday June 13, 2008. On the afternoon of June 13, 2008, while recording voice overs for the Sunday Edition of Meet the Press, Russert collapsed at the Washington D.C. Bureau of NBC. Despite immediate attempts at resuscitation by EMS and transportation to Sibley Memorial Hospital, Russert never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead a short time later. News of his death was reported live on NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC by Tom Brokaw. He had just returned from a family vacation in Italy, where he went to celebrate his son's graduation from Boston College. An autopsy was ordered to be performed to determine the cause of death.
On the evening of his death, the entire, nearly commercial-free half hour of NBC Nightly News was dedicated to Russert's memory, featuring previous news segments with Russert and interviews with some of Russert's colleagues.

The Champ Faces Foreclosure

I suppose just becasue you can live in opulence (doesn't mean you have to) for a period of time if your not a ROYAL or old money, but how many people are we seeing face foreclosure who have made 100's of millions. Who do they have managing their money.

Today the Canadaian Broadcasting Company is reporting the Atlanta Georgia Based -
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is facing mounting financial and legal woes.
Holyfield's $10 million US estate in suburban Atlanta is under foreclosure, the mother of one of his children is suing for unpaid child support, and a Utah consulting company has gone to court claiming the boxer failed to pay for more than half a million dollars for landscaping.
A legal notice that ran Wednesday in a small newspaper in Georgia said Holyfield's estate will be auctioned off "at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash" at the Fayette County courthouse on July 1. The 5,000-square-metre home — located on Evander Holyfield Highway — has 109 rooms, including 17 bathrooms, three kitchens and a bowling alley.
Holyfield defaulted on a $10 million loan to Washington Mutual Bank, which will auction off his home on the courthouse steps. The child support case involves Holyfield's 10-year-old son, whose mother, Toi Irvin, was initially awarded $2,000 a month in support. A flight attendant, she lost her job when airlines downsized in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, prompting her to return to court to ask for an increase. In 2003, a Fayette County jury increased the payment to $3,000 after hearing evidence that Holyfield's gross monthly income was $604,000, while Irvin was bringing in less than $2,600 a month.
Holyfield's handlers allegedly told her that he will no longer be able to make the support payments. Irvin said he has already missed two payments, so she has gone to court seeking restitution. "My concern is there may be a lot of other mothers not be getting paid, and I would like my client to be at front of the line," said Randy Kessler, Irvin's lawyer.
Kessler said Thursday evening that he has yet to hear from Holyfield's lawyer and hopes to go before a judge in 30 days. He will request the boxer, who has 11 children, be jailed if he doesn't pay up.
"This is such a small amount given the scope of what he has," Kessler said. "If Evander Holyfield can get away with it, anybody can. There are guys making $15,000 a year who go to jail for missing a $100 payment."
Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit was filed two weeks ago in Utah seeking repayment of $550,000 in loans allegedly made to Holyfield to pay for landscaping on his 95-hectare estate.
Holyfield didn't return a message left on his cellphone. His attorney, Frederick Gardner, did not respond to an e-mail nor a call to his Atlanta office.
Holyfield, 45, fought in October in Moscow, losing a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimov for the World Boxing Organization title.
Holyfield has won just six of his last 14 bouts (6-6-2) and was placed on medical suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission after a one-sided loss in 2004.
Despite the loss to Ibragimov, Holyfield said at the time he wasn't considering retirement.
Known as the Real Deal, Holyfield won a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics and dominated as a cruiserweight before making the move up to heavyweight, were he knocked out James (Buster) Douglas in 1990 to win the championship.
He lost his undefeated record and the title in 1993 to Riddick Bowe, but regained it twice more in his career, including with a memorable upset of Mike Tyson in 1996. In the rematch several months later, Tyson was disqualified for biting off a portion of Holyfield's ear, which was later re-attached.
Holyfield has grossed over $200 million US in his career.

Countrywide Foreclosing on Ed McMahon's Home

Price: $6,250,00012000 CREST CT.BEVERLY HILLS POST OFFICE • •

90210MLS #: • Status: For Sale

How in the world could Ed McMahon be in jeopardy of losing his house to foreclosure?
McMahon purchased the house in 1990 for $2.6 million, according to public records.

12000 Crest Court in the gated Summit neighborhood inside the Beverly Hills postal area.

We all know Ed has Johnny Carson's side kick and the Publisher Clearing House spokesman.

What I can't figure out is why he didn't own the place straight up. Ed was making some very big dollars - his net worth had been in excess of 200 million dollars.

Howard Bragman, a spokesman for Mr. McMahon, said late Tuesday that his client is having "very fruitful discussions" with the lender and hopes to find a resolution. It isn't clear whether that would allow the 85-year-old Mr. McMahon and his wife, Pamela, to remain in the six-bedroom home. ReconTrust, a unit of mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, on Feb. 28 filed a notice of default on a $4.8 million Countrywide loan backed by Mr. McMahon's home. The notice was filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office but hasn't previously come to light. According to the filing, Mr. McMahon was then about $644,000 in arrears on the loan. It isn't clear whether Countrywide still owns the loan or is acting on behalf of investors who acquired it. Public records also show that Mr. McMahon had a separate home-equity line of credit from Countrywide of up to $300,000 secured by the same house. Mr. McMahon broke his neck in a fall about 18 months ago and hasn't been able to work, Mr. Bragman said. That health problem, along with the weak housing market and economy, has forced Mr. McMahon into foreclosure proceedings.

Fannie Mae Tightens the Belt..

Fannie Mae Cheat sheet : New Guidelines Start Monday, June 2, 2008
Posted: Fri, 30 May 2008 06:40:00 -0500
This weekend, Fannie Mae is overhauling its mortgage approval system. Earning an "Approve/Eligible" is going to be decidedly tougher than in the past. For home buyers that have been in the market since January, this is not news; Fannie has been steadily trimming its serviceable market. Its changes...Read the full post at http://www.themortgagereports.com/

If you read the previous post you will see a great alternative.

My Co. Offers Great Home Buying Program

michael@valleyfinance.com
With all the bank properties saturating the market we are seeing prices at very affordable levels;hence, everyday folks can see the value in owning vs. renting. Many homes are at price levels that compete aggressively with rent. The only problem is many of the government backed loan with easier qualifying criteria is usually joined with a D.P.A (down payment assistance); 100% financing. When utilized properly this is a great opportunity for many people. Plus it moves inventory - well not so fast. Banks want conventional deals (20% down an above average credit) and shun these government back loans combined with down payment assistance (3% to 6% sell participation). This means the bank drops the bottom out of the price - and will not accept these highly utilized loan programs. I've been told that these offers utilized by many hard working people would be trashed regardless of the offer; simply because D.P.A was part of the deal.

(In a nutshell - we have our own resources {cash} and that is why we can make it happen so smoothly - no hocus pocus; no dog and pony show - yes; you can have win - win scenerios in bad markets; that my friend is the art of turning bad situations into growth and prosperity.)

"You can offer over 100K for the home but if you need D.PA from the asset manager [seller for the most part] the deal won't be considered.."
Nameless Realtor


My company will buy the home for the client with our cash (smooth fast clean transaction)- bring it to F.H.A codes and utilize the pre approvals from FHA and DPA. What does that mean? That means the school teacher at a Rocklin elementary school can buy that REO in Rocklin and live in the community she works.

"School teacher's don't make enough for a 500K home but a bank home offered at $260K @ 100% financing on a 30 year fixed..That's smart and good business."

Nameless Investor

It means the family of 5 can live in a home downtown near the dad's night shift. This program is awesome. We will fix the home up so it'll be turn key and it will all be kept within the loan parameters. Of course many people can go conventional, but some of these fixers at bargain basement prices can be very nice homes and great long term investments for those that could benefit from them most.

We will help you get the FHA loan with DPA because we are F.H.A approved.

You Spin Me Round, Round like a Record....

As reported by Realty Trac, the foreclosure rates continue to rise, that’s no surprise. Look at the below story not as DOOM and GLOOM, but a great buying opportunity. I was in a town called Lathrop a couple weeks ago and you'd almost think it was a ghost town; but 3000+sq ft for about $100 a sq ft and less?? What a deal. The issue with the entire inventory not moving in a buyers market is pretty clear - many banks are somewhat out of touch; just like they were out of touch in the run up, they appear to be a step or two behind in the recovery process. Some may know or may not know but once a bank takes back a home the price is reduced drastically and thus REO / Bank Owned homes become the hottest (if you can say that in this market) home(s) on the MLS and thus attracts more buyers. Homes are equal to rents and thus many people renting can afford buying - when is the last time you heard that. The issue is the down payments, and the banks inability to participate in DPA (Down Payment Assistance). Simply put DPA is when the seller gift's the buyer 3% to 6% (does not have to be paid back) and the buy is then able to utilize FHA loans etc. Banks may be wise to look at metrics of length of RENTAL HISTORY and Monthly Rent Payments plus credit history. Many people are being left out of one of the best buyers market in years. If you’re looking to buy and are getting rejection after rejection utilizing government back loans from FHA that is coupled with DPA contact me (michael@valleyfinance.com) and I can get your FHA loans accepted with DPA.

"The total number of U.S. properties with foreclosure activity in April was the highest monthly total we've seen since we began issuing the report in January 2005," said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. "Although only about 2 percent of households nationwide are in foreclosure, these properties contribute to already bloated inventories of homes for sale, and put downward pressure on home values. Areas of California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona continue to be particularly hard-hit. Property tax bases are eroding, putting municipal budgets in peril. For example, the city council in Vallejo, California - part of a metropolitan area with a foreclosure rate that ranked sixth highest in the nation in April - last week voted to have the city file for bankruptcy."

Nevada, California, Arizona post top state foreclosure ratesDespite a 5 percent month-over-month decrease in foreclosure activity in April, Nevada continued to document the nation’s highest state foreclosure rate. One in every 146 Nevada households received a foreclosure filing in April, 3.6 times the national average, and the state’s foreclosure activity was up 95 percent from April 2007. California posted the second highest state foreclosure rate in April, with one in every 204 households receiving a foreclosure filing during the month. Foreclosure filings were reported on 64,683 California properties in April, down less than 1 percent from the previous month but still the most of any state and an increase of 112 percent from April 2007. With one in every 242 households receiving a foreclosure filing in April, Florida documented the nation’s fourth highest state foreclosure rate. Foreclosure filings were reported on 35,264 Florida properties during the month, the nation’s second highest total. Florida foreclosure activity increased nearly 17 percent on a month-to-month basis and 146 percent on a year-over-year basis. California and Florida cities account for 9 of top 10 metro ratesSix California cities documented foreclosure rates that ranked in the top 10 among the 230 metropolitan areas tracked in the report. Merced took the top spot, with one in every 66 households receiving a foreclosure filing during the month, followed by Stockton at No. 2, Modesto at No. 3 and Riverside-San Bernardino at No. 4. Other California cities on the list were Vallejo-Fairfield at No. 6 and Bakersfield at No. 8.

They are still working on the light at the end of the tunnel...

(If you look close you can see the light at the end of the tunnel being worked on..)

Last week, the House, including a fifth of Republican members, passed a bill that would allow some homeowners to refinance loans through the Federal Housing Administration if their lenders agreed to take 85 percent of the amount borrowed. President Bush promised to veto the bill.

Here's how the political team at Goldman Sachs sizes things up:
The House passed legislation that aims to refinance troubled mortgages and increase demand among first-time homebuyers. The President has threatened a veto. Nevertheless, federal intervention still appears likely. Although some recent data have exceeded low expectations, housing continues to worsen and consumer sentiment is poor. Politicians have taken notice. Most importantly, the policy differences aren't as large as rhetoric implies. Enactment of these proposals could marginally soften the decline in home prices, by reducing the number of foreclosures and increasing demand among first-time homebuyers. It could also reduce the downside risk to mortgage-related losses, but at a potential cost to taxpayers.

(And)

Last Thursday the House approved H.R. 3221 by a vote of 266 to 154, more than a dozen “yes” votes short of the two-thirds needed to override a veto. This is important because President Bush threatened to veto the bill last week.

H.R. 3221: Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008

Good Homes for 200K to 300K

(Read how paradise provides maximum value for the dollar below)
Living The Dream In America

(The sign reads - Aloha, slow down

your in Molokai)

Read more about this near end of posting - Molokai, Hawaii ---->

Many people say, "We will never be able to afford a DREAM home." I tell them - your looking in the wrong area. If you look around the country some areas are ripe with large homes, on large lots for small prices. I have seen nice homes under 100K on 1 or 2 acre lots. Some people nearing retirement say they are nervous about the cost of living - I tell them sell your California home and pay cash for something in the southeast. Of course in the south east your going to get a slower pace of life, peace and quite, low property tax, less crime and cleaner air, a lot of lakes, ponds and rivers to fish and pass the day. I enjoyed living in the south because the people were so friendly and nice. 3 times I moved in 10 years and guess what? Each time I moved the neighbors brought me a cake and welcomed me to the neighborhood. I have lived in my California sub division at triple the price (no I am not upside down), smaller home, smaller lot and I'm not sure what my neighbors name is...Imagine if you didn't want all this space and were a single person - imagine what you could get a 1000 sq ft for? Under 100K..In essence here is a common person retirement plan. Sell your California home - pay cash for your retirement home in the southeast and pocket the difference in the fund of your choice. Something is "right" when people say "good morning" at the local post office, something is "right" when one neighbor helps another, something is very right when you can live a dream and have money left over. Who wouldn't love buying groceries from a neighborhood store (farmer) vs. a big box? Having run a business in the south I can also say the work ethic is second to none. I suppose the cost of living is so high in California people are focused on work, work and work that no time is left to live, live, and live. 200k- 300K; that is the 10 year equity difference in many higher priced markets.
Equity difference = cash money on your next home? You don't have to live with the traffic, the crime, the high cost of living, but I suppose we being creatures of habit would rather stay put then take action to force a change.

$249,000
Bennettsville, South Carolina

This historic built in 1904 has 5BR/2.5BA with 4800+/- sq ft and is a licensed Bed & Breakfast. The home features beautiful stained wood throughout, wainscoting, stained glass, front and rear staircases, and zoned heating and cooling. The home also has a detached double garage and pool with deck. Click here to see some more nice photos. Plus this home is on over an acre... Bennettsville is about 30 to 45 min from heavy metro area Charlotte. Bennettsville is not trailor park, Bennettsville is very nice.
$285,000.00 Hartsville, SC

Remarks: SELLER WILL PAY $3000 TOWARDS BUYERS CLOSING COSTS!! Custom design & custom built home. Newly painted interior & new carpet. Built in bookcases, entertainment center, wired for sound downstairs, large pantry, shared fireplace between den & kitchen.

4 bedroom 3 bath 3200 sq ft

$299,000.00 Florence S.C

Remarks: Beautiful home with lots of living space. This house has 6 bedrooms and 4.5 baths on a .46 acre lot, recently renovated with tile, paint and hardwood floors -


Molokai, Hawaii $289,000

Very neat and clean plantation style home. Large landscaped and fenced yard with fruit trees. Centrally located in Kaunakakai Town. Walking distance to shops, community pool, hospital and elementary school. 3 bedrooms and 1 bath within main house.

Molokai is one of the most wonderful places in the world. This small island is a simple 5 min plane ride to Maui, a few extra min. to any of the other island(s). If you hate crime, love great weather, enjoy bird watching, living Hawaiian culture consider the islands. Yes, many homes are in the multi millions in prime locations in the Hawaiian Islands - but some of the less populated islands and areas provide living environments that are truly priceless. This is one of the reasons I love [American] Real Estate, truly special homes in special places because of the special people - and not becasue of the size of the homes, the cost of the homes. It would not suprise me if you never saw a STOP LIGHT (becasue the last I knew - Molokai has no stop lights)- Molokai is like that - a small island in the huge Pacific with a friendly culture - what a place.

Here are some more pictures of Molokai - so if your thinking you want to skip out of the rat race or retire or just get back to living for a living vs. working for a living

you don't need to travel clear across the globe to remote islands - Molokai is a (somewhat) short plane ride from the west coast of the United States. Paradise, the good life and LIVING FOR A LIVING can still be had for far less then a King's ransome. Click here and see the Molokai Cowboy Connection - what could be better in Paradise then horse riding on a ranch with the south pacific being your back drop. Surreal? Indeed - rememebr its paradise....

Former Major League Baseball Player

Mr. Canseco, a one-time American League most valuable player who ignited controversy by later admitting he used steroid , writing a book about it and then being the individual that name names, and thus a major performance enhancement drug era is exposed in full light.

Canseco told the syndicated TV show that he walked away from his $2.5 million, 7,300-square foot home in suburban Encino (18011 Karen Drive in Encino) because it didn't make sense to continue making payments. "I do have a judgment on my home and it to me is very strange because it didn't make financial sense for me to keep paying a mortgage on a home that was basically owned by someone else," he said in an interview that aired Thursday.
"You know my life, this financial thing, is a very complicated issue. Obviously, when you make all that money, people think, 'OK, let's assume it is $35 million.' People have to understand that $35 million, you're paying the government 41 percent. That leaves you with about $17 or $18 million, not even. Then you're taking care of your whole family."
He added that a couple of divorces cost him $7 million or $8 million. The WS Journal called Canseco “perhaps one of the highest-profile homeowners to walk away from a mortgage.” The paper also noted that falling home values in Los Angeles meant that Canseco had lost “about $1 million” in equity in the house. Plus, the house had had liens against it as well.
Canseco once owned a mansion at 3823 Pine Lake Drive in Weston, Fla. He sold that mansion in 2002 for $1,550,000 to major-league ballplayer Dimitri Young, according to public records. That mansion measures either 8,331 square feet (according to public records) or 20,000 square feet (according to news accounts from the late 1990s).